A digital live recording of the trio in Freiburg, Germany, in April 1985. After their fine work the previous year with
Spencer Davis, the tightness of
York and Hodgkinson's interplay on this release comes as little surprise. Auger makes for a fine third, though, with his electric piano lines wafting effortlessly over the rhythm section of "For No One." Despite a long and loping cover of Donovan's "Season of the Witch," and a Hammond romp through a
Jimmy McGriff number, the emphasis brought by Auger's presence is on electric jazz-rock. The band even gamely covers a couple
Billy Strayhorn chestnuts mid-show. Like the
York/Hodgkinson concerts with
Spencer Davis, though, it's Hodgkinson's solo bits that steal the spotlight. His sinewy "Catcote Rag" bass solo features some lovely glissando playing, and the "San Francisco Bay Blues" hearkens back to his string-shredding bass blues with
Back Door. ~ Paul Collins